If You Fall, I Will Catch You
by lovetheblazer
Summary: Chris and Darren are filming an emotional duet set to "Time After Time" when Darren takes a bad fall. Darren finds himself needing Chris as he never has before which leads to some big decisions about their relationship and the future. CrissColfer RPF.
1. I Fall Behind

**Summary: Chris and Darren are filming an emotional duet set to Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" for the Season 3 premiere episode of Glee when Darren literally falls behind, missing a step and crash landing at the bottom of the platform on the set. Everyone panics, but no one more so than Chris when he realizes just how bad his best friend is hurt. Darren finds himself needing Chris as he never has before which eventually leads them to some big decisions about the nature of their relationship and their future together. Criss/Colfer hurt/comfort, angst, fluff, and eventually romance. This will be a multi-chapter RPF that will focus on Darren's injury, recovery, and the emotional aftermath of this experience, all leading to eventual Criss/Colfer romance (because it is so obvious that these two crazy kids are made for one another.) **

**Warnings: Character Injury, Discussion of Medical Procedures, Sexual Banter in Later Chapters, Profanity**

**Disclaimer: This is RPF (real person fiction) primarily about Darren Criss and Chris Colfer. While they are both real, this story obviously isn't. It is a work of fiction. I don't own the Glee characters or the actors who play them but I sure wouldn't mind owning Darren Criss in real life! **

**Spoiler Alert: Takes place during the filming of Glee Season 3x01, alludes to Blaine/Kurt character moments from the show during Season 2 (so technically, mild spoilers for Glee through Season 2x22 "New York") as well as refers to events that happened on Glee Live Tour 2011.**

**Author's Note: Another CrissColfer RPF work-in-progress from LiveJournal (username: sarahannmac) that I decided I was ready to share with a bigger audience. This story was inspired by a couple of real-life events from the filming of Glee: the first being the insane set that the Warblers used when they performed "Animal" during Glee Episode 2x15 "Sexy." I loved the warehouse feel and the multi-tiered platforms, but with all those steep drop offs and levels, it felt like it was just one major accident waiting to happen. I felt the same way about Matthew Morrison and Neil Patrick Harris's "Dream On" duet from Glee Episode 1x15 "Dream On." In the Season 3 episode that Darren and Chris are filming in this fic, Blaine and Kurt's characters are auditioning for summer jobs as a performer at "Six Flags" an amusement park chain, something he alludes to during Glee 2x22 "New York." After doing a little research online, I decided that they were probably auditioning to work at the Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom in Louisville, KY since that is the closest Six Flags to Lima, Ohio (it's about 225 miles away). I pictured the set that is supposed to serve as the stage at Six Flags as looking like a cross between the set from the "Dream On" duet in Glee 1x15 and the set from the "Animal" duet in Glee 2x15 with platforms of varying levels, a small walkway bridge, and balcony overlooking the stage. **

**I also read a recent interview from the Huffington Post in which head choreographer Zach Woodlee discusses the numerous injuries that the cast members have incurred while filming on the show. In it, he talks about the "bruise wall" that he's created to document all the injuries that the cast has undergone while rehearsing and filming their myriad of dance numbers. So, between my worrying about the poor Warblers slipping and falling while performing "Animal" in a warehouse (with a foam machine, no less) and reading up on some of the injuries already incurred by Diana Agron, Lea Michele, Jonathan Groff, and Chris Colfer, I just couldn't help but think about what would happen if Darren managed to hurt himself on set. Sometimes it takes a traumatic experience like that to help you realize who and what is truly important to you, so I used this idea as the catalyst for slowly moving Darren Criss and Chris Colfer closer to a real relationship. Sorry for the incredibly long author's note, but hopefully it will be useful in setting up the story. Now, let's get to it, shall we?**

"_And you say, go slow. I fall behind. The second hand unwinds. If you're lost, you can look and you will find me, time after time. If you fall, I will catch you, I'll be waiting, time after time.I f you're lost, you can look and you will find me, time after time. If you fall I will catch you, I will be waiting, time after time." _

Darren and Chris's voices swelled together in perfect harmony, crescendoing together effortlessly as they seamlessly lip synced the popular lyrics along with the backing track that they'd recorded together less than 24 hours earlier. Darren smiled slightly as he took in the blissful expression on Chris's face as he simulated a look of love and longing that perfectly summed up how his character Kurt was feeling as he watched his boyfriend Blaine Anderson completely in his element performing a heartfelt ballad to the love of his life. Darren felt a familiar warming sensation in his gut as he allowed himself a moment to bask in the glow of the love reflected in Chris's eyes. Or was the love simply the work of good acting, a sign of Chris playing the role of Kurt, love-sick teen? It was always hard for Darren to tell. Darren and Chris were best friends and shared a natural, relaxed, and easy chemistry, onstage and off. Lea and Ashley often teased Chris and Darren about their "mutual admiration society" and the girls weren't wrong in their assertion that Chris and Darren cared about and respected one another in a way that defied easy labels. Obviously, Blaine and Kurt were in a more clearly defined romantic relationship on the show, having said "I love you" to one another during the Season 2 finale episode, while the relationship that Chris and Darren shared was a bit harder to pin down.

_FLASHBACK – FILMING OF GLEE EPISODE 2X16 "ORIGINAL SONG"_

_The line between Blaine/Kurt and Darren/Chris had first started to blur when they filmed their first kissing scene together last season. Chris had expected that the kiss would be fairly chaste and had been rather blasé about the whole filming process, given that he was old hat at filming kissing scenes, having filmed previous kissing scenes with Heather Morris and Max Adler. But Darren had arrived on set that day a ball of manic energy, nearly jumping up and down in excitement to begin filming. Chris knew that Darren was extremely comfortable with his sexuality and so he hadn't really anticipated that there would be a lot of awkwardness there, but he also hadn't been expecting Darren to show such anticipation and enthusiasm for the kissing scene either. They'd spent hours rehearsing and filming the kiss and the scene leading up to it and throughout the filming, Chris just couldn't get over how much Darren seemed to put into every take. Chris had felt bowled over and weak in the knees from the very first take by the pure passion that Darren infused into each kiss. Chris found his body responding in ways that he'd not expected to experience while filming a kissing scene, a process that tends to be clinical, rehearsed, technical, any anything BUT romantic. _

_At first, Chris had been all too ready to chock up his reaction to the fact that for the first time, he was filming a kissing scene with a guy who he found physically attractive. No offense to Max, but Chris wasn't lying when he'd said that Karofsky wasn't exactly his type physically. Plus, everything about that scene had been played as violent and the very opposite of romantic, leaving no room for Chris to enjoy the kiss or the experience, despite knowing that the reaction from fans of the show about this particular plot point would be very passionate. Similarly, while Heather Morris was a quite attractive girl and a good kisser, she was still female, meaning that Chris just wasn't particularly attracted to her. Plus, Chris had been filming his first kissing scene at the time and was nervous and giggly throughout the experience which didn't lend itself to a strong physical reaction. _

_But the scene with Darren had been different from the start. Just the line leading up to the kiss with Darren saying, "You move me, Kurt," had been enough to send shivers of delicious anticipation up Chris's spine. The character of Kurt was all wide-eyed innocence during this scene, with Kurt scarcely believing his good fortune that Blaine, Kurt's dream guy, wants HIM. Yet Chris found himself struggling to hold back, to make the kiss tentative and sweet as he knew Kurt would likely kiss Blaine for the first time when all Chris could think about doing was deepening the kiss, sucking Darren's bottom lip into his mouth while pulling their bodies closer together, needing, wanting, and tasting. _

_But while Chris had taken all these factors into account and had reluctantly held back as he kissed Darren, trying as hard as possible to kiss Darren as he knew Kurt would, rather than how he wished he could, Darren seemed to be unwilling or unable to hold back. From the very first kiss, Darren's body responded, pulling Chris's face closer to his, pressing a firm hand to the small of Chris's back as he deepened the kiss, his tongue experimentally delving into Chris's mouth. It had not exactly been the very PG kiss they'd rehearsed and blocked earlier, to put it mildly. Chris found himself fighting back a groan in Darren's mouth as he felt his Darren's tongue plunge further while Darren softly nibbled at Chris's bottom lip. The sensation had been immediate, electric, delicious, and unfortunately all too brief. They pulled away on cue and suddenly it wasn't Darren in front of him but Blaine once again, looking away shyly before tossing off his line. "Uhh, we should...we should practice." _

_Chris paused for just a second too long before delivering his next line, his thoughts racing as he took in the small, private smile Darren gave him as he pulled away from the kiss, his cheeks and neck slightly flushed and his eyes shifting rapidly back and forth between Chris's eyes and lips involuntarily. "I thought we were," Chris gasped out dizzily, his body immediately leaning in for the second kiss. _

"_Cut," called Bradley, their director for the episode, just as Chris and Darren went in for the second kiss. There was a brief stutter of a moment before both actors pulled away reluctantly from the second kiss. Chris could feel his cheeks burning as he pulled back, feeling Darren's eyes on him before he even pulled away. _

"_Chris? Next time, can you be a little quicker on your next line? You paused just a little too long on this take," Bradley explained. "Okay, let's set up to go again. We'll take it from Blaine's "you move me" line. Set back to one."_

_Chris nodded, his face feeling as if it was flaming now as he reset for the next shot, shifting his chair back to its original position and returning his hands to gluing sequins to Pavarotti's tiny casket. Darren caught his eye as he moved back to his original position while a hair and makeup person quickly straightened Darren's tie and smoothed down a wayward curl. Chris was amused to see that Darren was smirking slightly as he looked at Chris, a knowing look at his eyes that hinted at the fact that Darren was very aware of the effect of his kisss. Darren chuckled softly to himself, his eyes subconsciously slipping to look at Chris's lips again, noticing the slightly swollen bottom lip that had been between Darren's teeth only minutes earlier. _

_Chris took a deep breath and shook his head, trying to regain his composure. "Not cool, Darren. Not cool, dude," he muttered under his breath, loud enough for Darren to hear him but quiet enough that the crew milling around the set wouldn't hear what he had to say. _

_Darren raised his eyebrows in mock confusion. "Me? I didn't do anything," he said innocently. "You are the one that flubbed the line, Chris. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were doing it on purpose to get a few extra takes in."_

_Chris rolled his eyes. "Right...that was totally the blocking we rehearsed earlier," he stated sarcastically. _

"_Hey, you know I like to improvise. Plus, you didn't seem to mind it a minute ago," Darren all but purred to Chris softly. "But if you can't handle it, I can always go a little easier on you. For your sake, that is." Darren teased, the look in his eyes making it clear that the last thing on earth he wanted was to back off on the kiss. _

"_Really, Darren? Oh, it is on. Bring it. How do we decide the winner?" asked Chris intensely. He may not have been able to break Darren on the Glee Live tour despite doing everything in his arsenal to get Darren to laugh on stage, but this...this he could win. Darren and Chris still hadn't reached a consensus on who'd won the Glee Live bet. Chris had declared it a tie as neither actor had officially broken character on stage while Darren insisted he'd won the bet, taking Chris's swoon and dive roll across the stage as evidence enough that he'd gotten to Chris with the unscripted Klaine kiss during the Glee Live show in Dublin. Chris swore up and down that his dive roll across the stage was intentional, a tribute to Lauren Lopez's take on Draco Malfoy from AVPM as well as a last ditch effort to break Darren, to find something that would force him to crack a chuckle, but Darren wasn't buying it. _

"_Hmm, first person to get the other one to flub a line? I mean, I've already done it to you once so I'm one for one, but we won't count that since we hadn't officially declared the competition started," Darren answered cockily._

"_Wow Darren, you really think that highly of your kissing skills, don't you? It's a deal. We need some ground rules though. You can't do something weird and completely off script like sticking your tongue in my ear. The rule is that we have to stick to the basics of the blocking, but can still use our...other skills within reason. Deal?" asked Chris, feeling a thrum of pleasure spread through his body at the thought of what he'd could do to Darren's mouth to get a reaction. _

"_Ear, huh? Interesting... Didn't know that was a turn-on for you. I'll have to file that away for further reference," said Darren cheekily. "Yeah, it's a deal. Bring it, Colfer."_

_Chris grinned up at Darren, his mind racing with the things he wanted to do to Darren's lips. _

_Chris and Darren were interrupted from their plotting and scheming by the sound of Bradley's voice. "Alright guys, we're set for the next take. Darren, we'll take it from your line. Quiet on the set. Roll camera, marker, and 3-2-1..."_

_END FLASHBACK_

Darren grinned at the thought of their blissful afternoon spent filming the rest of the scene. Technically, the bet had ended in another draw as both actors had somehow managed to choke out their lines in between passionate kissing. Darren had never had to concentrate so hard in his life to say a simple sentence of dialogue. Chris had really brought his "A" game. The things that boy could do with his tongue...well, he wasn't sure if they were even legal. But the kiss had done nothing to help Darren sort out his feelings for Chris, but had only confused him more. Darren found that his body responded to Chris in a very physical, tangible way. He just wasn't sure exactly what that meant, for him and for Chris.

The kissing scene that day had also opened up a world of new possibilities to Chris as well. Darren had been a very affectionate and physical individual from day one. It was one of the things Chris found most endearing about Darren. Darren never sat still for longer than a minute anyways, always finding excuses to pat a friend on the knee or bump shoulders or even lean in and rest his head against his friend's shoulder like it was the most natural thing in the world.. But something about the line they'd crossed that day while filming the kissing scene had opened up a new world of possibilities to Darren and Chris, physically speaking. Suddenly, pats on the knee became holding hands as they wandered the set halls together. A gentle shoulder bump became Darren resting Chris's head in his lap while Chris napped in their shared trailer. Darren seemed to find every excuse possible to be physically close to Chris, his body always responding automatically to the feel of Chris's warm hand in his, to the sensation of brushing a gentle hand through Chris's silky smooth hair, or to the warm weight of Chris's body as it rested in Darren's arms.

Darren cherished the moments that he spent physically close to Chris, and marveled at the sensation at how well his body seemed to fit to Chris's. But there was no guidebook for dummies that could outline the proper protocol for how a heterosexual male should handle having a crush on his gay best friend. This was especially hard given that most days, Darren wanted nothing more than to take Chris in his arms, kiss him senseless, and walk away from the media spotlight, at least briefly, so that Darren could work out his feelings for Chris away from the three-ring media circus that would likely result from even the smallest of hints about what seemed to be developing on set between Chris and Darren.

Darren's thoughts were racings, his mind working overtime as he continued to perform his solo on autopilot. "You say go slow. I fall behind," Chris sang in response, his light blue eyes wide and bright as he walked deliberately towards the center of the stage.

On cue, Darren jumped lightly from the balcony platform to the small bridge across the stage, his hands reaching towards Chris as he sang his line, "the drum beats out of time." Chris was closer now, standing center stage on a slightly elevated platform just below Darren, gazing up at him in adoration with a look that was equal parts Kurt and Chris as they began to sing the chorus together, their voices blending in perfect harmony.

"If you're lost, you can look and you will find me, time after time," Darren sang in unison with Chris as he slowly walked across the bridge, never taking his eyes off of Chris as he allowed the longing of the song to pull him forward.

"If you fall, I will catch you, I'll be waiting," Chris continued, watching as Darren reached the end of the bridge before executing a small hop meant to carry him to the center platform, landing him mere feet from Chris, both of them on equal footing as they sang the last line together. "Time after time."

The scene had been painstakingly blocked by Zach and Brooke to make the most of the vast new set. The idea was that Kurt and Blaine were shifting constantly throughout this duet, both casually unseating the other as they struggled to find equal ground, coming together by the song's end and singing in unison "time after time" as the lyrics echoed their dedication to one another.

This time, however, Chris and Darren did not end on equal ground as they had so many times before. Instead, Darren slightly overshot his landing, the force of his hop sending him just past the edge of the center platform on which Chris currently stood. In the half second it took Darren to realize that he'd jumped too far, he was able to register the pain that was to come. Below the center stage platform lay a sharp drop off of nearly six feet that led to the lowest level of the stage. But Darren scarcely had time to react to what was happening to him before the moment was upon him. Darren tried and failed to get his legs underneath him before he hit the lowest level of the stage, his right leg striking the unforgiving wooden floor at an awkward angle as his body was forcefully slammed into the stage, sending him harshly to the ground as his limbs crumpled beneath him.

**End Chapter Note: One of the reasons I finally waded in and decided to attempt writing CrissColfer RPF is that I'm really enjoying trying to capture in writing the undefinable relationship that exists between Chris and Darren. To me, it appears to be more than a friendship but not as simple or clear cut as a traditional romantic relationship (in part given that Chris identifies himself as homosexual while Darren identifies himself as heterosexual). I think a lot of what seems to draw people not only to their relationship on screen but also to their relationship in real life is the rarity with which you see same sex best friends of opposite sexual orientations who are so comfortable with each other on a physical and emotional level and share such intimacy and chemistry without feeling the need to justify, explain, or define it to anyone else. **

**With that in mind, I heavily ship Criss/Colfer but try to ground my stories in reality as much as possible. Because in real life, there are obstacles to any relationship and the Criss/Colfer relationship is no exception. I hope to deal with some of these roadblocks in upcoming chapters, focusing on the media speculation, Darren and Chris's desire for privacy, and the extent to which a real relationship between the two of them might have the tendency to distract from the acting work they are currently doing as the characters of Kurt and Blaine. **


	2. Darkness Has Turned to Gray

**Because we are getting so close to the Season 3 premiere of Glee and CrissColfer RPF helps pass the time. Also, I just can't help myself.**

**Warnings: Character Injury, Discussion of Medical Procedures, Sexual Banter in Later Chapters, Profanity**

**Disclaimer: This is RPF (real person fiction) primarily about Darren Criss and Chris Colfer. While they are both real, this story obviously isn't. It is a work of fiction. I don't own the Glee characters or the actors who play them but I sure wouldn't mind owning Darren Criss in real life!**

**Spoiler Alert: Takes place during the filming of Glee Season 3x01, alludes to Blaine/Kurt character moments from the show during Season 2 (so technically, mild spoilers for Glee through Season 2x22 "New York") as well as refers to events that happened on Glee Live Tour 2011.**

**Chapter Author's Note: This chapter will be pretty intense and angsty. I'll be introducing the specifics of Darren's injury in this chapter too, so there will be more discussion of medical stuff. In particular, there is one scene at the end that may be a little tough to get through if you are squeamish. I know it was hard for me to write and think of poor Darren going through that, but the severity of his injury will play an important role in bringing Darren and Chris together, so I decided it was worth it in the end. Thanks for reading so far. Now, let's get back to our two adorable boys, okay?**

_**Chris watched in mute horror as Darren crashed to the ground, landing heavily on his right leg. He knew instantly that it was bad. Before Chris could scramble to the lowest level of the stage and drop to his knees next to Darren, allowing him to see his face, he could tell Darren was hurt by the hunch of his shoulders and the white-knuckled grip Darren had on his knee. Chris was at Darren's side within seconds, allowing him a clear view of the deathly pallor of his pain-twisted face, unfortunately confirming his suspicions. Darren was hurt. Badly.**_

"Darren? Oh my god, Darren… Hey, are you okay?" Chris called in panic as he knelt down next to his best friend, bringing a steadying hand to Darren's right shoulder, squeezing it gently before running a worried hand gently up and down his upper arm. Chris's eyes searched Darren's pain-stricken face and he held his breath, waiting for Darren to open his eyes or respond in some way, all the while listening with growing concern to Darren's labored breathing.

After what seemed like an eternity, Darren turned his head slightly towards Chris. His eyes slid open slowly, looking at Chris with a mixture of abject panic, misery, and desperation while his hand continued to clutch his knee with a white-knuckled grip. "Chris…_fuck_," he managed to pant out between gasps of pain. "Oh god….hurts."

Chris's face crumpled at the brokenness of Darren's voice, his eyes blowing wide in concern. "Oh Darren…" he said, running a hand through his hair carelessly in frustration. "What's hurting? Your leg?" he asked, looking to Darren's right leg which was splayed awkwardly against the floor. Darren's dark wash slim cut jeans made it hard to see his leg clearly, but Chris could just make out that Darren's leg was set at a somewhat unnatural angle, suggesting further injuries that were blessedly hidden from Darren's view at the moment.

Darren nodded as he looked pleadingly to Chris. "_Chris_…" he nearly begged, his voice shaking with pain and fear. "Shit…hurts…bad," he cried brokenly, his voice trailing of into a series of gasps.

"Shh…I know, Darren. Just hang on a sec. We're going to get you some help, okay?" Chris encouraged gently, continuing to stroke Darren's arm as he looked up to see this week's director, Eric Stoltz, approaching them with Brooke, the assistant choreographer.

"He's hurt," Chris said in their general direction. "His leg…I think it's…" Chris trailed off, not wanting to speak his suspicions aloud, lest that make them come true and cause Darren additional distress. Chris caught Brooke's eye, glancing down to Darren's leg and then back to her, watching as Brooke'e eyes widened in recognition as she took in the unnatural angle of his right leg. "Brooke, maybe you should get Zach?" Chris half asked, half commanded given that Zach was usually the person to assess and treat the cast's many performance-related injuries. His many years as a dancer and choreographer made Zach a natural expert on when to push through the pain and when to seek medical attention while his epic "bruise wall" served as a small shrine to the numerous injuries each cast member, save Darren until now, had accumulated during their time on the show.

Brooke nodded. "Yeah, on it. I'll be right back," she said, reaching for one of the walkie talkies that the cast and crew used to communicate across the cavernous set and turning to head towards the rehearsal studio where Zach was currently teaching some basic choreography to the Warblers for an upcoming performance.

Eric was the next to speak, after silently taking in Darren's appearance and demeanor and quickly making the determination that the young actor was going to need some medical attention. "Darren? I'm going to go ahead and call over one of the Fox studio medics to take a look at your leg, okay? Just sit tight for a few minutes. Can I get you anything in the meantime?"

Darren shook his head, his face tensed and his eyes closed once again. Chris, however, seemed to have other ideas. "Maybe we should get him some water?" Chris suggested, looking over Eric's shoulder at the production assistant who was hovering nearby, looking eager for something to do. Chris's eyes went back to Darren's face, noticing that he'd broken out in a cold sweat. He turned directly to the PA this time, addressing her with his request. "Do you think you could find him a clean towel too?"

The PA nodded, snapping to attention at the chance to do something to help. "Totally," she said. "I'll be right back." Eric rose to his feet, giving Darren a slightly awkward pat on the back as he did so. "The medics will be here soon. Just hang on a minute, alright?" As the director stepped away, he pulled out his cell phone to call for help before stopping to consult with a few members of the crew.

Chris's full attention went back to Darren, noticing that his body was listing to the side a bit more, seeming shaky as he balanced his upper body against his right elbow. Without a word, Chris shifted closer to Darren, allowing his hand to slide from his upper arm and wrap gently around his back and shoulders. Darren shifted gratefully into the physical contact, leaning his body against Chris's while being careful not to relax his lower body too much for fear of disturbing his leg that continued to throb in time to the beat of his heart.

"Darren?" Chris called questioningly. Everything he wanted to ask or say seemed wrong somehow. He couldn't ask Darren if he was okay, when it was clear that he wasn't. And Darren had heard some version of "hang in there" at least four times in the past few minutes, so that was out too. But Chris needed to communicate with Darren somehow, to let him know that he was here, that he wasn't going anywhere, and that it was killing him to see Darren in so much pain and not be able to fix it. But everything Chris could come up with sounded cliched, so he ended up asking the one question he hoped Darren could answer.

"Darren honey, I know it hurts. Is there anything I can do?" Chris asked softly, the tone of his voice making it clear that this intimate question was meant for Darren's ears only.

Darren continued to breathe heavily, feeling a slight prickle at the corner of his eyes at Chris's request. By now, the pain was so bad that Darren was having a hard time remembering what life was like before the pain had started. The steady throb tended to block out everything else, his surroundings fading to gray while the white hot agony stemming from his leg loomed above all else. Everything had faded into the background except for _Chris_, that was. The feel of Chris's warm arm around his shoulder and back seemed to be anchoring Darren to the ground and to reality and he feared that without Chris's reassuring touch, he would pass out within minutes. He needed Chris's touch almost as much as he needed oxygen and a respite from the pain at the moment.

Slowly, painfully, Darren managed to open his eyes. "_Chris…_" he started, taking a second to draw in a gasping breath. "Can you just…hold…my hand?"

Chris felt a sharp stab of pain to his stomach at Darren's simple request. It communicated so much about their connection with one another and Darren's vulnerable, anxiety-ridden state. Chris swallowed hard, fighting the rising tide of tears that swelled in his throat. Wordlessly, Chris covered Darren's left hand with his own, lacing his fingers with Darren's and squeezing gently. Next, he carefully directed Darren's head to his shoulder before reaching up his right hand to gently stroke the curls that were gathered at the nape of Darren's neck. "Shh, Darren. It's okay. You're going to be okay. Just hang on, honey," Chris murmured softly as he continued to stroke Darren's hair, feeling Darren's body relax into his little by little.

Chris looked up and was relieved to see Zach barreling across the set towards them with Brooke following close on his heels. Zach dropped to his knees next to the two of them, quickly taking in the tenseness of Darren's body and the awkward position of his right leg.

"Hey Darren, what the hell did you manage to do to your leg?" asked Zach, aiming for a casual tone but failing to completely conceal his concern. "Brooke said you fell pretty hard. Can you show me where it hurts?"

"Zach…think…it's bad. I heard…something…snap…when I…fell," Darren managed to gasp out between pants of pain. "Hurts…here," Darren continued, his hand hovering just above his shin.

"Okay, let's take a look." Zach reached down and gently tried to slide up the cuff of Darren's jeans so that he could get a look at his leg underneath. But Darren's slim-cut jeans left little room to slide the fabric up without touching the injured leg beneath it and Darren let out an almost inhuman-sounding strangled cry as the fabric grazed his leg.

Darren's hand crushed into Chris's with surprising force as the pain to his leg increased tenfold. Chris squeezed back comfortingly. "Shh, I know, Darren. Just breathe, okay?"

"Okay, okay…" Zach called out in surrender, not wanting to do anything to cause Darren that much pain. "Sorry Darren. I won't do that again but I need you to do something. Can you try to move your foot for me? Can you wiggle your toes or turn your ankle a tiny bit?"

Darren panted in pain for several seconds, waiting for the agony in his leg to die down enough that the black spots would recede from his vision. With a deep breath, he focused all of his attentions on the muscles in his lower leg and foot, concentrating with fierce effort as he tried to send the signal from his brain to his lower leg. Despite his best efforts, there was no movement forthcoming, not even the smallest of twitches to bely the amount of physical effort that the task was currently taking of Darren. This lack of movement was even more disturbing to Darren than the massive amount of pain he was in and he felt a slight chill run through his body at the thought of his leg being so badly broken that it would never work properly again.

Chris's body tensed as he similarly waited for some glimmer of movement from Darren's lower limb. He felt Darren's hand tighten around his own as he seemingly put every ounce of effort into moving his foot with zero results.

"Zach…" Darren gasped out, the edge of panic in his voice sharper than it had been only moments earlier. "I can't…it won't…move. Oh god.."

Zach's eyes widened slightly before he could stop himself. He quickly settled his features into a more blasé expression. "Okay Darren…it's alright. People aren't always able to move a broken limb. "Look, I think there is a pretty good chance that your leg is broken or at least badly sprained, so we just need to wait for the medics to get here, okay? In the meantime, I want you to try to drink some water and lay back and just breathe nice and slow and stay calm, okay?"

Without waiting for a response, Zach turned to Brooke. "Brooke, we're going to have to cut his pants so that we can get a look at his leg. Can you see if one of the PAs can find us a pair of sharp scissors and some bottled water for Darren? An icepack would be good too if we've got one handy. And let's get the ETA on the medics. They have to have one on the Fox studio set at all times, so I don't know what's taking them so long."

Finally, Zach turned his attentions back to Darren and Chris, noticing that Darren was still struggling to hold himself upright. Zach was concerned by the paleness of Darren's face and the labored quality to his breathing and the last thing he wanted was for Darren to pass out. "Chris, can you help Darren lay back?" he asked.

Chris nodded and temporarily relaxed his grip on Darren's hand as he slid back a bit, making room for Darren to stretch out so that his head would rest in Chris's lap. Darren's reaction to Chris releasing his hand was immediate and slightly violent. Darren's eyes flew open and he began to grasp frantically for Chris, his hand possessively gripping at Chris's shirt in an attempt to keep him close by.

"Shh, Darren. It's okay. I'm not going anywhere. " Chris brought his hand to Darren's temple and brushed a lock of hair from his eyes reassuringly. He kept one arm around Darren's shoulders while the other cradled his head and neck and he began to slowly lower Darren's upper body towards his lap. "Just lay back, honey. I've got you."

Darren was scared to move for fear of jarring his leg and starting the pain anew. He tensed his entire body but allowed Chris to slowly lower his torso until his head was resting against Chris's legs in his lap. Once Darren was settled there, Chris brought his left hand to Darren's curls once again and resumed stroking his hair gently while his left hand wrapped around Darren's right, with Chris's thumb rubbing whisper-light circles over Darren's knuckles.

Darren allowed his eyes to flutter closed, feeling slightly awkward and uncomfortable at being laid out on the floor while people huddled around him and the crew looked on in concern. He hated being weak, hated wincing in pain, and most of all, hated needing anyone as much as he needed Chris at the moment. To be honest, it was taking everything in Darren's power not to break into sobs, not to cry out in panic and pain. Without Chris, Darren knew he wouldn't be able to hold on much longer. He brought his left arm to his face, covering his eyes with the crook of his elbow, allowing himself to block out his surroundings save for the feel of Chris's warm hand in his and the gentle touch of Chris's fingers brushing through his hair.

Chris looked up to see Brooke returning with a pair of scissors. Behind her trailed the PA who was carrying a small hand towel and a bottle of water. Zach looked up in relief as they approached, reaching out a hand to take the scissors from Brooke.

"Thanks, Brooke," Zach said simply, his attentions turning to Darren once more. He took the bottled water and towel from the PA wordlessly, and handed them to Chris. "Chris, can you help him drink some water?"

Chris unscrewed the top from the bottled water and reluctantly relaxed his grip on Darren's hand in order to slide a supportive hand underneath Darren's head and neck. "Let's sit you up a bit, Darren" Chris directed while carefully lifting Darren's upper body to a half sitting position. "Here, drink this," he continued, bringing the bottle of water to Darren's lips.

Darren managed a few small sips of water in between gasps of pain before sagging back into Chris, utterly spent by the small movement. Chris eased Darren back to his lap and took the towel and wiped at the beads of sweat that had collected on his forehead. Chris couldn't help but notice that Darren seemed to be fading, his skin paler than it had been only minutes before and his movements weaker still. But what disturbed Chris most was his breathing. He knew that Darren was in a lot of pain, but Darren seemed to be genuinely struggling just to breathe normally which didn't seem as if it should be happening as a result of a simple broken leg. His gut instinct told him something else was going on with Darren, that there was more than just a simple broken leg to be found.

He watched as Zach readied himself to cut Darren's pant leg to get a better look at this injury. Chris hoped that the medics would get here soon. He'd feel much better once Darren was safely tucked into a bed somewhere resting comfortably after a dose of pain medicine. But until then, Chris knew he had to stay calm for Darren's sake. Given the level of panic Chris was currently experiencing, he could only imagine what Darren was going through and vowed to do what he could to make things as easy as possible for Darren. To that end, Chris dropped the bottled water back to the floor and wrapped Darren's hand in his once more, watching as Darren's body visibly stilled at Chris's touch.

"Darren?" Zach called tentatively. "Hey, how you doing? You hanging in there? Brooke talked to the medics and they should be here any minute, okay?"

Darren nodded minutely. "I'm….okay…. just….hurts," he managed to get out.

Zach nodded in recognition. "I know it does, Darren, but you are doing great. Look, I'm going to go ahead and cut your pants so that I can get a better look at your leg, alright? I'll be gentle as I can be and it shouldn't be painful, but just let me know if anything I'm doing is hurting you, got it?"

Darren nodded his acknowledgement and Zach got to work. He carefully lifted the cuff of Darren's right pant leg a few inches from its resting place against Darren's ankle and slid the scissor blade beneath it, cutting into the tough denim fabric.

As Zach continued to cut, Chris watched his progress carefully, worried to see the state of Darren's leg beneath the pants. Chris saw Zach frown as he cut a slit up the pant leg. He leaned forward , peering around to see what Zach was frowning at. For a moment, Chris saw nothing out of the ordinary, but then realized that the fabric of Darren's jeans was stained darkly down the center. He leaned forward a bit more, noticing the crimson blood smeared across Darren's pale ankle. Before Chris could self- monitor and stop himself, he spoke up. "Jesus Zach, is that _blood_?" he asked in horror.

Zach gave him an unreadable expression before nodding slightly. "Yeah, I think so. I can't tell where it is coming from just yet, though."

Darren overheard the word "blood" and saw the look on Chris's face and panicked yet again. First, he heard a snap, then he realized he couldn't move his leg at all, and now he's bleeding somehow? It was all too much to take in. For the second time in the past few minutes, Darren found himself wondering if he was going to lose his leg or be unable to walk normally ever again. This fear was enough to propel him forward momentarily, and Darren lifted his head from Chris's lap, shakily pushing himself up onto a elbow in order to get a view of his damaged leg.

"Whoa, whoa, easy Darren," Chris said, shocked when Darren suddenly struggled to sit up from his lap. "Don't try to get up, okay? You just need to lay back and relax until the medics get here." He pressed a gentle hand to Darren's shoulder as he did so, pushing him back into his lap.

Darren struggled mightily to lift his head again. "Chris…need to…see…leg…how bad…it…is," he gasped out frantically.

Chris pushed Darren back more firmly this time. "Shh, Darren. There's nothing to see. You don't need to look. Just relax and focus on your breathing, okay?"

"Said…it's…bleeding," Darren choked out.

Chris looked to Zach for help, not being sure what to say to calm Darren. Zach spoke up next as if on cue.

"Darren, yeah there's a little blood but I can't tell where it's coming from just yet. You probably just scraped your leg on something when you fell. It's going to be fine. You just need to focus on taking slow, deep breaths and lay back, okay?"

Darren seemed to accept this explanation or was too tired to continue to protest – Chris wasn't entirely sure which was the correct interpretation of Darren's sudden surrender. Chris squeezed Darren's hand reassuringly and continued to stroke his hair, all the while keeping a close eye on Zach as he continued to cut slowly at Darren's pants.

Darren's entire body tensed and he let out a cry of pain as the scissor blade accidentally grazed his leg as Zach continued to cut higher up on his pant leg.

"Sorry, sorry Darren… Okay, I think I've cut enough for now. Just take it easy. All done." And with that, Zach dropped the scissors to ground and grabbed for Darren's split pant leg, opening it up to expose his bare leg underneath up to his knee.

Chris watched as Zach's eyes widened and his expression darkened as he exposed Darren's shin. Zach brought a careless hand to his head, running his fingers through his hair messily as he thought through what to do next. Chris looked down to Darren, noting with relief that his eyes were closed once again and that he hadn't seen the look on Zach's face.

Chris leaned forward slightly, both desperately wanting to and dreading looking at Darren's injury. With a deep breath to steel his nerves, Chris looked at Zach wordlessly, who understood Chris's signal and lifted the the flap of Darren's pants, exposing the leg beneath it. Chris felt the room spin and his stomach churn in abject horror as he looked down, taking in the unnatural bent of Darren's leg. Worse still was the third joint that had formed between Darren's ankle and knee in the center of his shin through which Chris could make out the shiny white of Darren's bone protruding through the soft tissue of his right leg.

**End Chapter Note: Sorry, I know that last description was a bit gruesome and brutal, but compound fractures by nature aren't pretty. I always strive for medical accuracy with my fics, so I definitely did my homework on Darren's injury, a compound tib/fib fracture. It is a nasty break that can take months to heal properly and it isn't uncommon for a person with a compound fracture like Darren's to go into shock (hence why he seems so weak and out of it and is breathing funny in this chapter). He obviously isn't out of the woods yet, and the next 2-3 chapters will probably contain a fair amount of medical stuff. While I think it is important to be as accurate as possible when including medical crises in a story (esp. in the case of RPF which should be even more rooted in reality), ultimately this story is about Darren and Chris and their relationship with one another, so hopefully I did okay with regards to balancing the medical and character moments. Anyways, if you are out there reading, please review and let me know what you think so far. Is there any plot point or character you're dying to see in an upcoming chapter? If so, please let me know as I aim to please and welcome any and all prompts and plot ideas :)**

**Also, if you are interested in reading more of my Klaine or CrissColfer works, I also post ficlets, drabbles, playlists, and other special features on my blog. Follow me on Tumblr at place-that-ive-been-dreaming-of (dot) tumblr (dot) com. Stop by and say hello.**


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